The goal of the UCLA Biotechnology Training in Biomedical Science and Engineering (BTBSE) Program is to educate and to train the next generation of highly skilled scientists and engineers who will assume leadership roles in multidisciplinary biotechnology research. This goal will be achieved through a cohesive training program entailing multidisciplinary research, a common curriculum composed of formal coursework in life science and engineering and of research seminars, and an industrial internship. The required coursework is comprised of a course in macromolecular structure, a course on molecular biotechnology from an engineer's perspective, the Biotechnology Forum seminar course, and a class in research ethics. Life science trainees must work in the research laboratory of an engineering mentor for at least three months; likewise the engineers will spend time in the laboratory of their life science mentor. Trainees who complete this program will be equipped to function productively in the multidisciplinary teams of bioengineers and life scientists prevalent in the industry. California has led the nation in total biotechnology firms, and projected California biotechnology industry annual growth of 5-6% ensures continued demand for qualified personnel. UCLA plays critical roles in support of the local bio-industry as a generator of innovative, commercially viable technology and as the educator and trainer of biomedical researchers. The interface between the life/health sciences and engineering is extraordinarily rich in its diversity; this biotechnology program focuses broadly on molecular and cellular research. Faculty participants in the proposed BTBSE Program all conduct research focused at the molecular and cellular level, and most have established cross-disciplinary collaborations. The faculty research activities cover a broad spectrum of basic biomedical research related to biotechnology including, enzyme biocatalysis, thermostable enzymes, metabolic engineering, DNA microarray technology, nitric oxide metabolism, molecular basis of neurodegenerative disease, biosensors, tissue engineering, anaerobe microbiology, vaults (protein nanocapsules), nanobiotechnotogy, bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, protein molecular evolution, and incorporation of unnatural amino acids in recombinant proteins. Such an array of research activities conducted by collaborating researchers provides an exciting menu of multidisciplinary research opportunities to trainees. Faculty participants in the proposed training program have had the opportunity to recruit from a pool of >170 eligible PhD students (including 23 underrepresented minority students) this academic year. In sum, UCLA provides the talented multidisciplinary faculty, bright and diverse students, resources for research, courses, and opportunities to interact with industry that are necessary to mount a successful biotechnology training program.
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